Improvement in the manufacture of illuminating-gas



W. D. SEAL.

Gas Purier.

Patented Feb.r27, 1866.

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DNTTED STATES PATnNT WILLIAM D. SEAL, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OFCOLUMBIA.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent N0. 52,893, dated February27, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. SEAL, of the city and county ofWashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in the Method of Manufacturing Carbureted-Hydrogen Gas forIlluminating` Purposes; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the construction and operationofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making apart of this specih'cation, in which- Figure l represents a front viewof my retort, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

The usual modes of purifying carburetedhydrogen gas produced from thedestructive distillation of coals or other' hydrocarbons is tedious,expensive, and defective, and it is the object of my invention to effectthe purification of this gas within the retort wherein it' is generated,and within the time required for its passing from the retort; and tothis end my invention consists in dividing` the retort into two or morecompartments, so that while the destructive distillation shall be inprogress in one compartment of the retort the gas generated therefromshall pass through, among, or over a body of quicklime contained in theother compartment of the retort.

To carry out the objects of my invention I prefer to use a cylindricalretort, A, of any proper refractory material, divided by a metallicpartition, B, situated above the center and extending from the front towithin a short distance of the rear of the retort, thus giving in thelarger portion ot' the retort C ample space for the distillation of thehydrocarbon and the smaller space D for the quicklime, with an opencommunication, E, between the two compartments for the gas to pass fromthe one to the other, and escape through a pipe, F, situated in thefront of the retort, into a tank, G, in which the tar may be deposited,and whence the purified gas may pass through the main pipe H to theburners. The tank G may be partially lled with water through the tube I,and the tar may be drawn from the tank by a siphon, K.

When coal is to be distilled for producing gas it may be introduced intothe retort by removing the cap L and replacing` it with luting, ifnecessary; but when liquid hydrocarbons are to bedistilled they can beintroduced into the luted retort through the pipe M when it is providedwith a proper stop-cock, or even such a bend as will retain liquidenough to till the pipe and prevent gas from passing.

The operation is manifest.. As destructive distillation progresses inthe lower part of the retort the gas generated therefrom rises andpassesfrom the lower compartment around and over the rear end of thepartition, through, among, and over the lime to the tank G, and the gasis deprived of its nitrogen by contact with the quicklime, that acquiresa red heat, but does not deprive the gas of its carbon, and thusdelivers it to the tank in a nearly pure condition for burning, and asthe lime acquires a high heatitdoes not become clogged by the absorptionof nitrogen, but continues to exercise its purifyingqualities for-anindelinite length of time. l

It is obvious that my invention may be applied eifectively to otherforms ot' retorts, and

that a series of shelves containing lime may be' introduced to continuethe gas a lougerdistance and greater length of time in contact with theheated lime; but the single shelf I have found by repeated experiment tobe quite effective.

What I claim as my invention, and desir to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The process herein described of passing the gas as generated overamass of quicklime when the gas is generated in the retort where the limeis placed for it to pass through and be purified, substantially as setforth.

2. The retort constructed, arranged, and operating' substantially asdescribed, that the gas may be generated and purified in a singleretort, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WM. D; SEAL. Witnesses:

EDM. F. BROWN, J. I. PEYTON.

